Russia is waiting for the steps of Prague. But Lavrov did not comment on the Czech municipality for Ukraine
Russia hears the Czech government’s comments on efforts to “defrost” battered diplomatic relations between Prague and Moscow, but will wait for concrete proposals or signals from the Czech side, Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Geneva today. He did not want to comment on the impact of the Czech intention to provide artillery shells to the Ukrainian army, which was confirmed by Jana Černochová at the Ministry of Defense at today’s press conference in Prague. At the same press conference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský said that the Czechia was ready to support the sanctions imposed on Moscow in the event of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Lavrov discussed the situation in Ukraine today in Geneva with his American counterpart Antony Blinken. At the conference, he faced the question of one of the journalists who wanted to know how the head of Russian diplomacy is reacting to the new Czech government’s efforts to improve relations with Moscow, although Prague is also proposing to help increase it.
“As for the new Czech government, we hear what I am saying, we will clarify it when the words are reflected in some concrete proposals, concrete signals to our address,” Lavrov said, referring to recent statements by the head of Czech diplomacy Jan Lipavsky. the Czech Republic will use the “restart” of relations with Russia.
“I can not comment on what our NATO neighbors are doing in relation to Ukraine,” Lavrov said of the possibility of helping military aid to Kiev. “We have warned many times that the only thing the Kiev regime is doing is relying on coverage from its Western sponsors. As soon as this Russophobic hysteria is over, it will all seem obviously unsustainable,” he added.
The new Czech government states in the program statement, among other things, that it will use a “revision” of relations with Russia and China. During his visit to Bratislava last month, Foreign Minister Lipavský said that relations between the Czech Republic and Russia were at a very low level. “I will deal with how it is possible to restart, to promote. It is a very uncomfortable situation when the executives do not talk to each other,” Lipavský said. Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharov subsequently said that it was in Prague’s efforts to do so.
Today, Černochová confirmed to journalists that the Czech Republic is donating 152 millimeter artillery ammunition to Ukraine. According to her, the Czech side chose this form of assistance from the list of requests sent to Prague by Kiev. Ukraine did not ask the Czechia for personnel assistance, the ministry added.
Lipavský then added that the Czech Republic is also considering another form of assistance and is ready to support sanctions against Russia in the event of Russian aggression.
The diplomatic rift between the Czech Republic and Russia, which resulted in a substantial reduction in staff at both embassies, was sparked last spring by information from Czech security forces about the involvement of Russian military intelligence services in the Vrbětice ammunition depots in 2014. Moscow rejected a similar accusations and the Russian government subsequently included the Czechia in the list of “not friendly” countries, in which, in addition to the Czech Republic, only the USA appears.